Amadeus has introduced a preview of Amadeus Cruise Shopper, "a comprehensive solution for leisure travel companies to sell cruises online while delivering next-generation search capabilities and tailored cruise offers for consumers."Amadeus Cruise Shopper enables travel agencies to offer a unique online cruise shopping experience, customized cruise deals, better manage their sales process and increase their revenue-generating opportunities online. The program is designed to help travel agencies, franchises, consortia members, home-based agents, airlines and cruise lines benefit from the...
Holland America Line (HAL) has launched a new "Flight Ease"air program that allows agents to "easily and affordably select from two competitive pricing options depending on their clients' travel needs,"-- Flexible Fares to fit any schedule or Restricted Fares that are generally more cost-effective for those sure of their travel plans. According to officials, agents who book air for their clients with the new Flight Ease program enjoy more options, more flexibility and competitive fares along with Holland America's assurances on air travel versus booking through another means. Flight Ease is...
Crystal Cruises has unveiled more than 65 new Crystal Adventures for outdoor enthusiasts sailing on five Canada & New England cruises this fall. Travellers who love outdoor activities, wildlife, vistas and ecology can explore nature in a variety of ways during one seven-day and four 10-day Crystal Symphony sailings beginning Sept. 16. The season begins with a new, 10-day, Boston to Montreal itinerary that features two maiden calls, and wraps with a 10-day Montreal-New York voyage that visits off-the-beaten-path Québécois ports alongside East Coast "old money"hideaways like Bar...
Air Canada Vacations is offering a free stateroom upgrade on any 2013-2014 Hawaii sailings aboard Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) when booking by July 6. The offer is for new bookings only. Free upgrade refers to a better available accommodation within a category or on select dates to another category. Upgrade varies per sail date and category booked. The offer excludes Studios, certain specialty staterooms and luxury accommodations....
Compagnie du Ponant has launched its new 2014 Arctic Collection, which is featured in a newly released, 56-page brochure that details the variety of experiences being offered. Cruises are aboard the Le Boral and L'Austral -- each featuring 132 staterooms and suites -- with sailings featuring the Northwest Passage crossing to Alaska and the White Sea, the gateway to Russia's Far North, as well as the East Fjords of Iceland. Both vessels have been designed and engineered for polar cruises, each having received the "ice" classification, meeting clearly defined international criteria and, in...
When The Duchess of Cambridge christens Royal Princess on June 13, the nearly 2,000 invited guests in Southampton will not be the only ones to enjoy the festivities. Viewers around the world can also watch the celebrations as Princess Cruises will be streaming the ceremony live online at http://www.princess.com as it formally welcomes the new ship into its fleet. The live streaming will begin at 11:15 a.m. local time in Southampton, which will be 6:15 a.m. EDT in Canada and 3:15 a.m. PDT. Viewers can also choose to play back a recording of the ceremony soon after the event for viewing at...
Princess Cruises is celebrating the upcoming debut of the new Royal Princess cruise ship with a special sale offering festive extras to passengers booking one of more than 80 sailings. Passengers can toast the new ship or celebrate their own special occasion with a free bottle of champagne, and on sailings of eight days or more will also receive free gratuities. The sale includes cruise vacations to destinations around the world, including Australia & New Zealand, the South Pacific, Panama Canal, Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico and the California coast. Examples of included voyages are...
Azamara Club Cruises is offering guests a cruise credit equal to their airfare when booking air through its customized online air booking tool, ChoiceAir, during June and July. Through this "Get Money Back"offer with ChoiceAir, the cruise line is ensuring guests receive the best value with the best service possible. And, if guests find a lower airfare within 24 hours of booking their flights the cruise line will refund 110% of the difference as an onboard credit to use during their voyage. Additionally, guests will enjoy up to 50% savings on the voyage fare, and 25% off Land Discoveries shore...
Montreal welcomed its first ship of the 2013 cruise season with the recent arrival of Holland America's 1,266 passenger Masdaam. And 2013 marks a big year for the port, which will be the first time its cruise season run from May through October. The longer season comes as a result of an anticipated 9% increase in the number of cruise-goers this year, continuing the ports gains in 2012 when a record total of 55,000 passengers and 14,000 crew members arrived at the port. In 2012, the amount of direct economic spin-off for Montreal came to a grand total of $14 million. The honorable Charles...
Costa Cruises has rolled out a special group promotion on select winter 2013 and a variety of 2014 voyages throughout its fleet. The group bookings must be deposited by June 30, 2013. As part of the program, passengers can reserve at a low lead-in rate that includes seven-day Mediterranean sailings on Costa Pacifica from just $599 and 10-day Caribbean sailings on Costa Luminosa from $749, all per person, double occupancy. Travel agents receive an additional $25 per cabin bonus commission and 50% reduced deposits for sailings six months or more from the booking date. These are in addition to...